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Pre-Processing
Simcenter STAR-CCM+ solves physics problems on a computational mesh. To provide this mesh, you first define geometry using internal or external tools, and then create a mesh pipeline whose operations generate the mesh in repeatable steps.
Meshing
A mesh is a discretized representation of a geometric domain. This domain can include real-world geometry, its content, and its surrounding environment.
Exporting Mesh and Solution Data
This section outlines the steps for exporting Simcenter STAR-CCM+ mesh and solution data to formats that can be used in other CAE packages.
Automatically Exporting Data at Regular Intervals
When running a long simulation (either interactively or in batch mode) it is useful to enable the auto export feature. This feature causes Simcenter STAR-CCM+ to export the solution data automatically at regular intervals during the run, when the Export... command is disabled. This section includes a description of the properties of the Auto Export dialog.
Auto Export Properties

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Pre-Processing
Simcenter STAR-CCM+ solves physics problems on a computational mesh. To provide this mesh, you first define geometry using internal or external tools, and then create a mesh pipeline whose operations generate the mesh in repeatable steps.
- 3D-CAD
  3D-CAD is a feature-based parametric modeler within Simcenter STAR-CCM+ that allows you to build geometries from scratch. The geometries that you create with 3D-CAD are stored as 3D-CAD models, which you can then convert to geometry parts for integration with the meshing and simulation process.
- Modeling Geometry
  This part of the User Guide describes how to use 3D-CAD, the parametric solid modeler available within Simcenter STAR-CCM+. It also describes the features and tools available for further preparation of the geometry model and its surfaces.
- The Surface Repair Tool
  The Surface Repair tool diagnoses errors in, and provides repair tools for, tessellated surfaces and part curves. The same tool allows you to reorganize discretized geometry by searching for face-based features and attributes then assigning the results to new or existing part surfaces or curves.
- Defining the Regions Layout
  An essential part of the process in setting up your simulation is to define the relationship between geometry parts and regions, boundaries, and interfaces.
- Meshing
  A mesh is a discretized representation of a geometric domain. This domain can include real-world geometry, its content, and its surrounding environment.
  - Mesh Construction
    Within a bounding volume defined by geometrical surfaces, Simcenter STAR-CCM+ can construct meshes for finite volume and finite element solvers.
  - Meshers in Simcenter STAR-CCM+
    The meshers in Simcenter STAR-CCM+ generate surface and volume meshes for geometry parts that are assigned to regions and make them ready for analysis.
  - Parts-Based Meshing
    Parts-based meshing (PBM) is a meshing strategy in which you create one or more mesh operations that define workflows for preparing, fixing, and processing geometry. A major benefit of PBM is that every mesh operation you create forms part of a linear and repeatable process.
  - The Meshing Workflow
    This section contains the recommended workflow for setting up and generating the volume mesh at the parts level.
  - Mesh Operations
    Mesh operations perform actions on geometry parts that you can easily repeat whenever their input parts or properties are changed.
  - Mesh Descriptions
    A mesh description is a version of a surface or volume mesh belonging to a geometry part. Geometry parts can have more than one surface mesh description associated with them. You create and change descriptions by importing surfaces or executing operations.
  - Custom Mesh Controls
    Custom controls override any default controls for the surface and volume meshers. This facility allows you to refine or coarsen the mesh for part curves, part surfaces, geometry parts, and specified volumes.
  - Surface Meshers
    Simcenter STAR-CCM+ contains meshing tools which can be used to help prepare a high-quality surface mesh before a volume mesh can be generated.
  - Volume Meshers
    Simcenter STAR-CCM+ contains different types of meshers that can be used to generate a volume mesh starting from a suitably prepared surface mesh.
  - Mesh Refinement
    Simcenter STAR-CCM+ can refine the mesh by approximating the wake region or using solution-based approach. These features allow you to achieve efficient refinement by reducing the cell size in areas of interest.
  - Directed Meshing
    Directed meshing is a method for generating high quality swept meshes on geometries in Simcenter STAR-CCM+. The method operates by sweeping a mesh from the surfaces of a geometry through its volume onto a facing target surface.
  - Two Dimensional and Axisymmetric Meshes
    The use of a one-cell-thick three-dimensional mesh is much less efficient than using a real two-dimensional mesh for two-dimensional and axisymmetric simulations. When circumstances allow, use real two-dimensional meshes.
  - Turbomachinery Mesh
    Turbomachinery applications with axial blades typically require a flow-aligned, structured mesh. This type of mesh has implicit connectivity and a fixed number of vertex or face neighbors, leading to a more accurate solution.
  - Mesh Visualization
    You can visualize any mesh representation in Simcenter STAR-CCM+. After you have imported or generated a mesh, you visualize it to check the cell quality and mesh validity.
  - Checking the Surface Mesh
    The volume mesh quality is directly dependent on the surface mesh quality. Therefore, it is crucial to make sure that all surface meshes are of good quality.
  - Checking the Volume Mesh
    This section describes the tools available for checking the validity and quality of the volume mesh, and for diagnosing problem areas. Such problems can then be fixed, either inside Simcenter STAR-CCM+ or in the originating mesh generator.
  - Meshing Field Functions Reference
    This section contains a list of field functions that are related to meshing.
  - Working With Representations
    This section provides information on representations as a useful part of the meshing process.
  - Scaling the Entire Mesh
    Scaling the mesh is important as the units of the model must be in meters before running an analysis.
  - Working with Baffles
  - Exporting Mesh and Solution Data
    This section outlines the steps for exporting Simcenter STAR-CCM+ mesh and solution data to formats that can be used in other CAE packages.
    - Automatically Exporting Data at Regular Intervals
      When running a long simulation (either interactively or in batch mode) it is useful to enable the auto export feature. This feature causes Simcenter STAR-CCM+ to export the solution data automatically at regular intervals during the run, when the Export... command is disabled. This section includes a description of the properties of the Auto Export dialog.
      - Auto Export Properties
      - Exporting Region and Boundary Data
  - Multi-Region Meshing
    This section outlines the surface requirements for performing multi-region meshing, as well as step-by-step instructions when starting from surface imports that result in single region and multiple regions definitions. Additionally, guidelines are provided on what the best approaches are for exporting surface data from CAD packages when multiple regions are required.

Auto Export Properties

You can use the following properties to activate and customize this feature:

File Format: Selects the format of the file from a drop-down list.
Base Name: The prefix of the file name to use when exporting your data.
Export Directory: The directory that contains your file with exported data.
Separator: Specifies the character that appears between the base file name and the number of the trigger event (@ by default).
Format Width: Width of the iteration, time, or step number in the formatted file name.
Append to File: When activated, adds the exported information to an existing file. This file would be the one you specify in the Base Name, Export Directory and File Format properties.
This option works for .ccm, Ensight, RadTherm, .trn, Simcenter Nastran, and CGNS file formats only.
Export Solution Data Only: When activated, exports solution data and the mesh for the first designated time step or iteration and thereafter exports solution data only without the mesh. However, in cases with mesh motion, Simcenter STAR-CCM+ does export the mesh when there are significant topological changes between the designated exports.
Export Data on Vertices: When activated, exports vertex data. This option is only available when your export includes solution data, and when you are exporting to an Ensight Gold file.
Scalar Functions: Determines which scalar values to export.
Vector Functions: Determines which vectors to export.
Regions: Selects regions to export. See Exporting Region and Boundary Data.
Boundaries: Selects boundaries to export. See Exporting Region and Boundary Data.
Derived Parts: Selects derived parts to export. See Accessing Solution Data through Derived Parts.
Part Surfaces: Selects part surfaces to export.
Update: When expanded, this property makes available the controls listed below.
Enabled: When activated, enables the auto export feature.
Trigger: Provides choices for triggering the automatic export. See Trigger Types.
Iteration Frequency: Controls the number of trigger events between exports. See Trigger Properties.

The settings are saved in the simulation database.